Google shuttering Picasa in favor of its Photos app

Pictures or videos in Picasa online albums will be automatically available in people's Google Photos accounts.AFP | Updated: February 13, 2016, 12:27 IST

Google has said that it will be shuttering Picasa over the coming months and shift its focus to the new Google Photos service launched mid-last year.

"We believe we can create a much better experience by focusing on one service that provides more functionality and works across mobile and desktop, rather than divide our efforts across two different products," Google Photos chief Anil Sabharwal said in a blog post.

Pictures or videos in Picasa online albums will be automatically available in people's Google Photos accounts, Sabharwal said.

Those wishing not to shift to the new service will still be able to view, download or delete photos in Picasa albums, but the software won't be updated and adding images won't be an option.

These changes are expected to be rolled out starting May 1, 2016, however Google noted that it will stop supporting the Picasa desktop app from March 15, 2016.

"We apologize for any inconvenience this transition causes, but we want to assure you that we are doing this with the aim of providing the best photos experience possible," Sabharwal said. "Google Photos is a new and smarter product."